Pirates of the Caribbean: A Brand New World
by TaylorInPonderland
Summary: When Jack overhears a conversation in a tavern about Barbossa's plans to discover and claim the Great Southern Land, he's determined to beat him to it but a few faces from his past have other ideas.   Post POTC 4
1. The Hangover

**Something that's been floating around in my head for a while but I've just recently tried to pin down. This is my first fanfic ever so please be nice but also helpful! :) Obviously, I don't own anything from Pirates (except the original characters that you're going to meet along the way.)**

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><p>It never ceased to amaze him how one could go from the unadulterated bliss of sound sleep to the mind-splitting pain of a hangover in mere seconds. Jack took a deep breath, out of surprise more than anything, as he came to and realised he could taste dirt. Why was it that after a night out he could never remember anything but could almost always taste dirt? Cracking one eye open, all he could see was the dark, muddy ground beneath his face- this seemed a reasonable enough explanation.<p>

Jack pulled himself off the ground with immense difficulty. Every way he looked, people were going about their daily business as usual. He was in a portside town but he couldn't for the life of him conclude where. Yes, it was vaguely familiar but so much of his memory seemed to have disappeared over night, at least he presumed it had happened overnight. At the moment, he could only be sure of two things: the first was that he was most definitely Jack Sparrow and the second was that he was a pirate.

Despite a headache that was threatening to pierce his skull right open, he attempted to make his way down the main street with his usual flamboyancy. If there was one thing Jack Sparrow valued above everything else, it was his reputation and regardless of how poorly he felt, he was determined to keep it up. He spun his way towards a beggar on the side of the road, seeing the chance to gain much needed information.

Withered and gray, the man smelt strongly of something that appeared to be his own urine, however, he was clutching tightly to a rum bottle in his right hand. Jack's signature sparkle returned to his eyes at such a sight. If he couldn't get the information he needed out of the drunk, perhaps he could still wind up with something of value.

" 'Scuse me, mate" he enquired, leaning over so he was closer to the beggars level, "If it ain't too much trouble, could you possible hazard a guess as to what town we're in?" The old man's toothless mouth broke into a somewhat psychotic laugh and suddenly Jack suspected the worst.

"Are you a fool, man?" the drunk boomed, "Why, you're in Tortuga!" At this, Jack let out an internal sigh of relief; he knew Tortuga and well.

"Much obliged," he bowed to the beggar in thanks before casually swiping his rum bottle. The old man called out in alarm but by the time anyone started to take notice, Jack had already intertwined himself with the bustling morning crowd and was halfway down the street. Now that he had identified his current location, he knew where to go as a first line of action. There were still a few things he needed to work out though, like what had happened to the Pearl and where the bloody hell was Gibbs?

He was still a little shaky on his feet but Jack couldn't stifle his smirk as he reached the familiar building. The Faithful Bride tavern, the first stop in town for any self-respecting pirate, loomed large before him. Perhaps this was where he had been last night? Besides, even if he hadn't, Gibbs might be there by now. The doors swung open to reveal the place, completely to his satisfaction; it was still as dingy and dark as he remembered it.

Showing his usual courtesy, he tipped his hat to the barmaid, "Grace." She slapped him, though he had a feeling he had probably earnt it.

"Jack Sparrow!" Grace sighed, exasperated, "I thought I kicked you out of here last night." Jack had no memory of this but supposed it was best to act as though he did.

"But Grace, my love!" he pleaded, "You know me. While I'm here, I'll be your best customer." Grace rolled her eyes but made no more movement against him; she couldn't deny that this was true.

Jack sauntered over to an empty chair, happy but not surprised that he had been permitted to stay. Women could never resist his charms and Grace, as hardened as she was, was still a woman and a good one at that. The chair was broken but he was in such a state that he hardly minded; he was content just to have Grace fuss over him as he sat reclined back with his feet propped up on a nearby table.

With her lips pursed in distaste, Grace silently removed the rum bottle, which was practically empty, from Jack hands and placed a fresh pint of lager in front of him instead. The pirate responded to the gesture with a hearty wink that only gained another eye roll from Grace. As she wiped the area of the table not currently being occupied by his feet, Jack asked her the question he was dying to know the answer to- "Seen Gibbs lately?"

The woman shook her head in response. "Can't say I have, deary. At least, not since the two of you pitched up last month." This was news to Jack; could he really have been in Tortuga a month and not remember any of it? "He was holding that silly ship in a bottle that you were both so taken with," she continued and Jack's ears pricked up. The Pearl? Gibbs still had the pearl! That was good news, wasn't it?

Grace took her position behind the bar up again, signalling that the convesation was over. Jack wasn't worried though, he would be able to get more out of her once she had downed a few drinks herself; the day was still young. Now all he had to do was down his lager and listen to the conversation of the day. As far as he was concerned at the moment any news was good news. If he got lucky, he might even hear more about Gibbs and the Pearl, wherever the hell they had managed to end up.

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><p><strong>AN: So what did you guys think? Good, acceptable, woeful? Help me out here! **

**I hope people are enjoying it so far. I'm not such a big fan of this chapter but I promise it will get better (hopefully). **


	2. Barbossa's Latest Scheme

**Once again, I don't own Jack or anyone/anything from the original Pirates films. **

**Enjoy! :)**

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><p>In a nearby corner, a group of men were assembled, huddled close together, as though they were involved in some kind of underhanded deed that required secrecy. Judging from there dishevelled look and general smell, they could very well be pirates but Tortuga had reached such a level of depravity that even the most innocent of men looked a little shifty now. Regardless of this, Jack's curious nature got the better of him and he found himself compelled to eavesdrop. Besides, any information was, well...information.<p>

He was going to have to be careful though. Despite his talent for getting out of even the trickiest of scrapes, Jack would rather not have to rely on quick thinking in his current state. The general demeanour of Grace, who had now returned to her usual spot behind the bar, indicated she would not be offering him any further assistance, short of refilling his mug. The Captain was on his own once more.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how one chose to view the situation, there were several barrels standing directly opposite the suspected pirates. If Jack could somehow manage to get behind one of them, he would have a much better chance of hearing what they were discussing. The only problem was if he got caught trying to get there he would potentially be subjecting himself to any number of viciously violent acts that he would rather not imagine.

Still leaning so far back in his chair that it would be considered dangerous by any normal person, Jack cast his gaze over to the group of men. Whatever they were talking about must have been bloody interesting because they were yet to notice him staring at them so intently. There was adequate space between the barrels and the end of the bar for him to fit and for that moment, Jack's ultimate goal was to be filling that space. Perhaps if he simply moved stealthily, no one would notice; they hadn't noticed him staring at them, after all.

Even though it was broad daylight outside, The Faithful Bride had a lack of windows, which kept it in an almost permanent state of semi-darkness. Besides, there were more than a few other people around so if he blended in, Jack would probably be able to slip by unnoticed. With this in mind, the Captain quickly got to his feet.

What followed was probably one of the most woeful acts of attempted stealth ever seen. Still hungover, the captain stumbled unceremoniously across the short distance of floor with one hand held up against the side of his head (apparently employing the tactic that if he couldn't see the men, they couldn't see him either) before doing a ridiculous spin and squatting uncomfortably beyond the barrels. Of course, Grace saw all this from her vantage point behind the bar and shook her head in disbelief. If she didn't like Jack so much, she would have had a right mind to inform the other pirates of what he was up to. Shrugging, she decided he was out of her hair, at any rate.

Behind the barrels, it was just as Jack had hoped. He could now hear the conversation between the sailors relatively clearly. With his back pressed up against the wooden exterior, he turned his head to the left to better capture the sound of their voices.

"I 'eard," a particularly ratty looking one spoke up, "That he'll soon be making his way somewhere you 'n' I ain't never ever dreamed of." Grunts and exclamations about what the man could possibly be talking about were soon put to rest. "Gentlemen, I be knowing for a fact, that he's goin' on the lookout for the Southern Continent. He'll be richer than you could ever be imagining."

The Great Southern Land? Well that was an entirely different kettle of fish. Every country in the world was seeking it but to no avail. Whoever found it, according to the legends surrounding it, would be very lucky indeed with promises of spices and treasures of unimaginable value. Many said it didn't exist but Jack still had his suspicions; those people would probably say the same about the Fountain of Youth, get he had been to there and back.

"Rubbish!" a hefty Northern sailor boomed, turning a few heads before being quickly silenced by his comrades. Jack now had no doubt that, whatever they were up to, they wanted kept quiet.

"It's the truth," the rat-like one insisted, "Every last word." His beady eyes flickered around those nearby before he continued. "Besides, if anyone's got the brains to pull of that one, it's ol' Barbossa."

Barbossa! Well, things had just gotten _very _interesting. It was giving Jack ideas, the sort of ideas he hadn't had for as long as he could remember, which admittedly, wasn't very long ago. Regardless, the prospect of discovering a world of unrivalled riches excited the pirate. Should he be the one to stake his claim on the land, he would no longer live under fear of persecution. In fact, no one would be able to persecute him, he'd be a king. King Jack Sparrow, he liked the sound of it.

He was still smirking when the shadow fell over him. Looking up, his eyes met with those of a huge, dark figure. The man was bald but looked extremely muscular and fierce, at about twice Jack's size. He also had dozen of piercings, all filled with silver rings but, most notably, he was wielding not only a sword, which was currently sheathed at his side, but a heavy-looking wooden club.

"Sparrow?" he enquired menacingly, in an accent that was foreign to the captain's ears. Gulping in terror, Jack hastily climbed to his feet and extended his hand in greeting.

"The one and only, mate," he smiled nervously, eyes darting up and down the dark stranger's chiselled physique. "What can I, ah...do for ya?"

He was given no time to react. In the blink of an eye, the stranger raised his club before bringing it down for a resounding crack. Jack fell crumpled to the ground, knocked out cold as the entire pub fell silent. Only Grace let out a scream as the stranger dragged the unconscious Captain from the establishment but he paid her no attention. His mission was now complete and his captain would be very pleased with him.

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><p><strong>AN: So what did you think? Don't worry, Jack's going to be fine. Any guesses as to who the stranger might be working for? Keep reading and reviewing. **


	3. Taken Prisoner

**Once again, I don't own Jack or anyone/anything from the original Pirates films. **

**Enjoy! :)**

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><p>When Jack finally woke up, he was hit with a dizzying sense of déjà vu. It wasn't the first time he had found himself on the ground with a splitting headache this week, albeit this time was for a different reason.<p>

What was surprising, however, was that he was on a ship and not one that was familiar to him. The last thing he remembered was being hit over the head and he hadn't the foggiest idea where he was. Well, apart from the fact that he was in a ship's brig.

It was a bit infuriating for someone like Jack not to be able to see what was going on around him. For what seemed like hours, he didn't lay eyes on another human being. Determined to be let free, he tried screaming out like a madman for a while but to no avail. He then moved on to singing old sailor tunes but still no one appeared to let him out from behind bars. Unlike Port Royal, there was no trusty dog to slip him the keys. The captain was curled up on the floor of his cell when he noticed light appear from above. Someone was descending the step ladder and Jack scrambled to be able to see his potential saviour.

When she finally appeared in front of him, Jack thought God was playing some kind of cruel joke; she hardly looked like someone who would be safe on a pirate ship. She was tiny, slightly-built, mousy looking girl and she didn't speak, no matter how hard Jack tried to pry words out of her.

"Hello, beautiful," he smiled, employing some of the old Sparrow charm, "Any chance you could let a poor fellow out for a quick breather?"

The young lady's head dropped down, avoiding his gaze. Jack supposed she was used to be propositioned; maybe she did belong on a pirate vessel after all. When he inquired as to her name, she, once again, didn't reply. Instead, she put down the mug and bowl she was carrying and produced a key from the apron of her servant-like attire.

The key opened the large padlock on a small door near the bottom of his cell, like that on a bird's cage. The tiny woman pushed the mug and bowl through the space before re-locking the door with urgency. Her hands were shaking and Jack wondered what reason she had to be nervous.

On further inspection, Jack discovered he had been given whiskey and a hunk of hard bread. It was hardly elegant but Jack was used to the pirate diet. "Cheers, love," he thanked the diminutive servant. She allowed herself to look at Jack for a moment, grey eyes wide, before hastily fleeing back up the step ladder. Finding himself alone again, he munched miserably on the stale bread. He hadn't even done anything wrong, for once, and here he was forcibly imprisoned. Barbossa had to be behind it, there was no other explanation but how could the old man have known he was listening in to people discussing his plan?

Jack wasn't left to wonder for too long. After what was a much shorter wait than the last time, the hole in the roof opened once more, however the light shining in was severely diminished, leading him to believe night had fallen.

A smile crept onto his face, as he thought of the tiny, silent girl from before but soon disappeared when he saw who was standing in front of him- it was the man who had kidnapped him. Jack gulped again.

"Sparrow," the man addressed him in his smooth, deep voice, "The captain will see you now."

As far as Jack was concerned it was about bloody time. He'd wasted a whole day of his life inside this godforsaken ship.

"Brilliant," he flourished sarcastically, as the man swang his cell door open. Finally he could establish where he was and get himself the hell off of this boat, if need be. He was already losing valuable time; Barbossa could be halfway to the new continent by now.

The dark man's substantial bulk had not decreased in the twenty-four or so hours since Jack had last seen him. His appearance was intimidating enough to keep even Jack Sparrow in place, so the captain did not dare make a move out of line as he was walked across the ship's deck towards the entrance of the cabin. The ship's crew were up on deck while this happened and he couldn't help but hear fragmented whispers, including the mention of his name on several occasions.

Behind the heavy wooden door that separated it from the deck lay one of the most luxurious captain's cabins Jack had ever seen. It was like a floating palace, with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and ornate carpets covering the wooden floors. The room was equipped with a large writing desk, which would not have looked out of place in the house of a high-ranking official, as well as its very own dining table that was carved from a beautiful, dark wood. Various artworks and other ornaments decorated the rest of the room and Jack couldn't brush away the feeling that he was about to be confronted by a very successful pirate.

Suddenly, there was movement from behind a divider screen, which was up a short flight of stairs and in the back corner. Jack vision was partially obscured by his captor's massive biceps but he could hear the soft padding of bare footsteps behind the divider. A bittersweet cocoa scent that seemed strangely familiar became apparent to him for the first time.

"That will be enough, Christopher," the elusive person spoke up, apparently to Jack's kidnapper. Releasing Jack's arms, the man pushed him instead into a grand chair that faced the desk. The voice had belonged to a woman, which he hadn't been expecting, yet it too seemed so familiar. The footsteps grew louder and closer until finally, with a swish of dark brown hair, she appeared behind the writing desk.

She stood tall and proud, before dropping into the opposite chair, which almost resembled a throne. Propping her feet up on desk and taking a long draw from a wooden pipe, she raised one eyebrow and smirked serenely at the captain over the table. When he had gotten a good enough look at her for his brain to make the necessary recognition, Jack almost choked on his own tongue. She looked exactly the same, except now she was dressed only in a flimsy kimono and her skin was darker, with the majority of it covered in intricate tattoos.

Not even trying to hide his shock, he spluttered in surprise, "Anney?"

A crooked smile danced briefly across the woman's face before she answered with the same strong voice that had travelled over the divider. "Hello, Jack."

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><p><strong>AN: Eeek! Anney's here now! I love her sooo much and hopefully soon, you guys will too. I have my brithday and exams coming up so I don't know when I'll next get to update but I'll try to make it soon. Keep reading and reviewing PLEASE :) **


	4. The Other Captain

**Once again, I don't own Jack or anyone/anything from the original Pirates films. Oh, and sorry this chapter has taken so long but I just had my 18th birthday and I'm in the middle of my end of semeter exams for uni. **

**Hope you like it! **

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><p>Thirteen years ago, Lady Anne Fox had looked nothing like the woman who sat before Jack presently. The daughter of an earl, her mane of black hair had been in contrast to a pale complexion that had known the touch of an English winter, where as now she was brown like the girls who worked the fields in Singapore. Then she had been a sixteen year old aristocrat with an insatiable lust for any number of valuable goods and a sympathy for men of the sea. Now, she simply looked like a glamorous pirate, although her desire for the finer things in life remained intact.<p>

"It can't be..." he began in exclamation, before she cut him off.

"It is."

He could scarcely believe it. Just when he had thought he was irreversibly down on his luck, he had been picked up by Anney "The Pirate Princess" Fox. Jack had always liked Anney and, as he understood it, the feeling was mutual to some degree. No one could touch him now.

"Is it really you?" he asked, raising one eyebrow. The dark-haired woman didn't answer; she seemed content just to stare at him, smoke rings from her pipe billowing out into the air. Yes, it was fabulous he had found her now, in his hour of need but there was still one question that needed answering. "Why'd ya kidnap me, Anney?" If he had been lugged on board by that oaf Christopher, then surely it had been the captain's orders.

Captain Fox gave a low chuckle, leaning back in her chair. Perhaps it was simply Jack's drowsiness kicking in but he had a feeling that neither of them found the situation that amusing. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked in return, "I thought you were Edward."

_Edward. _It had been long, too long but it all made sense of course. For Anney had not been his lover but his brother's; the only woman that had ever made big, bad Ed Sparrow look twice. She had been the charming sixteen year old in town as a debutante and the Sparrow boys had been young rag-tag pirates, who happened to be in between ships. An unhealthy preoccupation with both groups of society was reciprocated by all and before the week was out, Jack recalled with a grimace, his brother was so lovesick with the girl, it had made him gag.

The Lady, as she had been in those days, begged her elderly aunt to permit her to stay a few more months, so that they might carry on the affair and Edward turned down several good offers on ships so that they might remain in London, despite the obvious risk that entailed. This had annoyed Jack to no end; he enjoyed living too much to allow himself to be caught so he had to resort to sneaking around by night.

As he recalled, Anney had been set on becoming a pirate with them and, being the extremely clever and manipulative woman she was, Ed had been given no choice but to agree. They had set sail for the Caribbean two weeks later and never looked back; Anney hadn't even bothered to write to her family.

In fact, now that he thought about it, those two reminded him a lot of Will and Elizabeth and he supposed that was probably the reason he had put up with those two oddballs for so long. Reagrdless, Anney was a tie to his brother and he was sure Ed would be more than happy to help him beat Barbossa.

"No joke?" he asked, waving around a quill that had been lying on her desk. Jack knew there was a family resemblance between Ed and him but they had never been mistaken for each other before, especially by someone who knew them so well. "How is ol' Ed?"

Jack understood the look Anney got then very well. It was a look only women got and he had seen in on Elizabeth a number of times.

"Your guess is better than mine," she stated bluntly, producing a knife that had presumably been sheathed in her kimono, "He left me high and dry on an island ten years ago. I haven't seen him since." Without further ado, she hurled the knife furiously across the room and buried itself deep into her wooden door, remaining stuck there. Judging by how battered the inside of the door was, this wasn't the first time Captain Fox had flown into a rage. Jack put his hands up to signify surrender but also gave her a look that asked to be privy to more information.

"Ten years ago he left me on an island," she stated coldly, staring at Jack with intensity. It was an old Sparrow family move and, for some reason, women always seemed to take offense to it.

"I'm sure he had his reasons, love," Jack said, trying to be reasonable. He knew his brother and judging by how crazy he had been about Anney before they had last parted, he doubted Ed would abandon her unless he was in some kind of peril.

"Don't you "love" me!" Anney barked, leaning across the desk and grabbing Jack by the scruff of the neck. "He abandoned me, Sparrow! I was pregnant and he let me for dead!"

Pregnant? Now Jack was really confused. Anney and Edward had never been expecting to his knowledge. He deduced the child must have died, considering there were no children aboard, at least, not that he had seen.

Captain Fox was looking him right in the face and Jack was giving it his all not to squirm. Although no one was watching it would still be embarrassing for a fearsome pirate captain to be roughed up by a woman; Anney was tough, but she was still a woman.

Suddenly, Anney's expression softened and she let Jack go, adding to his growing confusion. It was as though she had seen something in Jack that had calmed her. She smiled but there was something sinister about it, as if there was something about him she could use.

"Never mind Sparrow," she decided, in a sweet a voice as Anney Fox would ever be known to use, "You'll do."

Now, Jack was usually up for a bit of "how's ya father" whenever it was on offer but it was different with women he knew. This was Anney! He could only ever think of her as his brother's woman and nothing else; even for Jack Sparrow, that was crossing a line.

"I don't think that's possible, Anney," he apologised, disentangling himself from the other captain's grasp. "Not that ya not an attractive lady," he began to ramble in reassurance, "Ya just too much of a reminder of Ed for me."

Captain Fox adopted a look of absolute confusion. "But that's exactly the point," she said frowing, "You look exactly like him."

What was wrong with her? Anney was a great pirate but he had never known she was _that _kind of pirate. "I dunno what happened to you at sea Foxy but you've gone wrong," Jack said, shaking his head in disbelief. He made for the door, "I bid ye, goodnight."

Anney let out a short burst of laughter before he could get very far. "Don't flatter yourself, Sparrow. I couldn't be any less interested in you." Jack could tell she was trying not to giggle and his pride was wounded somewhat. "I just need you to help me with something."

"Something that requires me to look like Edward?" Jack questioned, still utterly confused by the situation.

"That's right, Sparrow," Captain Fox confirmed, getting visibly excited now. "You're going to help me get my daughter back."

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><p><strong>AN: Jack has a brother AND a niece! Bit of an information overload, I'm sorry but Jack's going to need help finding the new continent, yeah? Let me know what you guys think pleeeeeeease? **


	5. The Smiths

**Once again, I don't own Jack or anyone/anything from the original Pirates films. **

**Apologies for how long this took but thankfully my exams are now over and I have the whole holidays to write. This chapter tok me ages so I hope it's worth it. **

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><p>As one of the largest settlements in Jamaica, Spanish Town had seen its fair share of oddities but even locals who were used to pirates and other riff-raff couldn't help but turn their heads when the Smiths arrived in town the next morning. Those who spent their days in and around the town centre knew each other quite well and visitors always stood out. While they were impeccably dressed, there was something about them that didn't quite fit.<p>

Mr. Smith's clothes were far too tight and he could be seen pulling at them as the couple made their way up the main street. He was wearing a sailor's hat but the fact that he had a full head of messy, dreadlocked hair did not go unnoticed by several of the young female servants who began whispering excitedly.

"Who is he?" one of the mayor's maids asked, as she selected potatoes. Mr. Smith's appearance was causing a bit of a stir.

"John Smith, 'e's an ex-navy sailor," the merchant's daughter chirped excitedly as she counted out the maid's purchases. "I 'eard he's 'ere to retire. That's 'is wife, Missus Smith."

"It's a shame," the maid decided, looking the sailor's wife up and down, "He's so handsome but she looks rather sour."

She was right; Mrs. Smith did not look overly pleased to be walking beside her husband. This lady was dressed a little too well to be a mere sailor's wife, in a pale blue gown that she was struggling to keep off the ground with one hand. In the other, she held a matching parasol aloft and occasionally, if the light hit her the right way, she appeared to have tattoos across her chest.

"Wonder why she's bov'ring with that umbrella,' the merchant's daughter noted sceptically, "What with her bein' so dark ta begin wiff."

"Oh, I suppose it's just for show," the maid brushed it off, getting ready to head back to her employer's house, "But those markings and so dark! Do you think she's foreign?"

Both women chanced another look at the Smiths before promptly wishing they hadn't. Instead of meeting eyes with the handsome gentleman, they locked eyes with the Smiths' black servant, who appeared less than impressed. One glare from him was enough to have both women scurrying back to their own business; the amount of piercings he had was reason to be wary in itself.

Jack continued to tug at the clothes making up his disguise as they made their way to the cathedral in the centre of town. The pants, which were part of the vast wardrobe that Anney had collected during the last thirteen years, rode up and he wasn't used to this state of cleanliness.

"Move it along, Anney," he begged out of the side of his mouth, "It's too 'ot for this many clothes." Captain Fox insisted on playing her part with the upmost of care but Jack, like any self-respecting pirate, wasn't overly enthusiastic about the project if there wasn't any clear benefit for him.

"I should be expecting that kind of lewd commentary from you by now, Sparrow," Anney muttered, before feigning a charming smile at the town baker. "Besides, we should be using this opportunity to admire Spanish Town now; we're going to need to leave rather quickly." She sighed, looking at some of the grand clothes in shop windows. "News seems to travel fast here."

"Ye not half-wrong," Jack agreed, tipping his hat with ridiculous grandeur to a passing woman, "John Smith's been 'ere five minutes and 'e's already more famous than I am." Anney merely rolled her eyes.

They were soon at the cathedral and after waving off a potentially senile elderly woman who had invited them round for tea, Anney turned Jack. He had never seen her so serious, except for maybe the previous evening.

"I am to do all the talking, do you understand me?" she asked through gritted teeth. Jack's eyes darted to the several nuns who were watching children in the yard and hoped for the sake of his masculinity that they weren't seeing this. "I will _not_ have you ruin this for me, Sparrow!" she spat as a final warning. Christopher was going to wait for them around the corner. For obvious reasons, they had decided it would be better not to look dangerous and there was something about Christopher that just screamed danger.

"Aye-aye, sir!" Jack saluted with mock enthusiasm and she shot him a look a pure hatred. He wasn't really sure what else she had been expecting; he was Jack Sparrow, what did he know about parenthood?

As she started off down the dirt path at a cracking pace, he lurched after her. He already pitied John Smith for his choice of wife; the poor bloke didn't need people thinking his missus wore the pants as well.

"Excuse me, sister" Anney approached the nearest nun, transforming into the epitome of kindness, "But is it possible that I might speak with whoever is in charge here?" Though she was now a pirate, Anne Fox was still a lady in speech.

"Zee Mother Superior?" the young nun, who was apparently French, responded. She was clearly a little taken aback. "May I ask vat dis is regarding, Madame?" The Captain's tattoos had clearly not escaped her attention.

"Oh of course," Anney replied, turning on the charm, "How silly of me! My name is Elizabeth Smith and this is my husband," she gestured to Jack, "John."

"Pleasure,"Jack interjected, bowing to the young woman and Anney closed her eyes momentarily, as if in pain.

"Regrettably, we had to leave our daughter here several years ago but now we're far better off and we would love to take her back," the lady captain finished earnestly, placing a hand on her heart.

"Yes, it was a ghastly business," Jack added mournfully in the best pompous accent he could muster. Anney stared at him blankly but fortunately the French nun had an epiphany at that very moment.

"Smeeth? But of course, you must be zee parents of Charlette!" She stared at the strange couple in wide-eyed wonder. "We are so fond of Charlette 'ere; she iz quite brilliant, Madame and Monsieur."

Charlotte, his niece's name was Charlotte. Up until now, Jack had still been sceptical of the child's existence but now that this little Anney and Ed hybrid had a name she seemed real.

"She 'as your eyes, Monsieur."

Jack felt something stir in him. "Does she really?"

"So now you see why we must speak with your Mother Superior," Anney spoke up impatiently, clearly annoyed at the lack of attention she was getting, despite being the only biological parent present, "We love our brilliant daughter very much and long to have her back with us."

"I understand completely, Madame," the young nun assured her sincerely, "I weel take you to zee Muzzer."

"Thank you, m'-my dear," Jack stumbled, taking her hand and kissing it swiftly. Anney looked appalled but the woman only blushed furiously, before turning quickly on her heel and heading up the convent steps. The two captains presumed they were to follow but before moving off, Anney patted the side on which she had had her knife concealed the previous evening in warning; they hadn't even seen Charlotte yet and already Sparrow was ruining her carefully laid plan.

Fortunately for Anney, there were several flights of stairs between the ground floor and the Mother Superior's lodgings and since their French guide had gotten a head start, she was far enough out of earshot for her to give a scathing adjudication of Jack's performance so far.

"Pathetic," she spat into his ear from the step below, "Your accent is all over the place. I've seen you do better before, I don't even think you're trying. I think you just don't like me telling you what to do."

Jack was doing his best to ignore this. He had learnt long ago that if one simply let Anney talk herself into oblivion, she got so frustrated that she eventually couldn't be bothered to continue.

"And trying to seduce a nun?" she whispered in disgust, "If I didn't already know you were going to hell, I'm now positive."

The French nun turned around, still looking rather embarrassed from her ordeal. "Please wait 'ere Madame and Monsieur, I vill need to inform 'er you are 'ere."

"Of course," Anney responded, clasping her hands together and returning to her false pleasantness, "Take all the time you need, Sister." As the nun shut the door, her sweet smile quickly disappeared. Now that they were finally alone, Jack seized his chance.

"Anney, m'love," he began, "It only seems fair that now I've done somethin' for you, ye' ought to do help me with an endeavour of me own."

Captain Fox raised a dark, perfect eyebrow. Anney was tough but she was fair and would be the first to admit that she did now owe Jack. "Go on..."

"Well, the other night in Tortuga, 'fore I was floored by that oaf you call Christopher..."

"Watch your mouth! That's my first mate your talking about."

"Regardless o' that, before I were knocked out I 'eard somethin' very interestin'." He ended his sentence there to create suspense and Anney rolled her eyes at his theatrics.

"Go on."

"Now, you'd be familiar with the legend o' the Southern Cont'nent o' course..."

"Obviously," Anney snapped, "I'm a pirate. Where is this going Sparrow?"

"Well..."

At that very moment, the door to the office swung open again and Jack was forced to end his pitch. He was beginning to lose hope that he would ever gain a crew and be able to claim the land before Barbossa but he supposed there were ways around that; he could always capture the land and everything it had to offer from under the old man's nose. He had done so before, hadn't he?

"Ah," smiled a much older and squatter nun, as the French one from before ushered them in, "You must be the Smiths." There was a distinct lack of furniture in the room so they were offered a lounge chair to share. The Mother Superior positioned herself in a single, hard-backed chair in front of them and the Sister remained standing by the door, next to her were an alcove in the wall that housed a figure of the Madonna and a candlestick in an ornate holder.

The older woman did not seem at all perturbed by their appearance and it wasn't until he looked into her eyes that Jack realised this was because she was going blind, Perhaps this was going to be easier than they had thought.

"I'm sorry about the state of the place," she apologised, "The cathedral orphanage doesn't really get many visitors, as you can well imagine, I'm sure."

"Can't think why," Jack said sarcastically and Anney threw him another women-only look. The old nun either didn't hear or simply pretended not to.

"But your Charlotte's parents!" she said, as if this was the most wonderful surprise in the world.

"Yes," Anney answered, beginning to lose her patience, "And if it's not too much trouble we would like to take her back. You will recall, in my original letter, I did say I would be back for her one day." Jack nodded at this, pretending he knew more about Charlotte's abandonment than he really did.

"I am aware. Sister Bernard has explained the situation to me," she continued to smile. Anney was confused about how one could be so cheerful with so few possessions but brushed it aside. There were more important things to be attended to. "Go fetch Charlotte please, Sister," the older woman instructed the nun at the door and Sister Bernard left them.

"You seem such a charming couple," she decided, though they had barely spoken, "Which makes me wonder why you ever gave Charlotte away in the first place?"

Anney, taking her cue, placed a hand on her heart, as if in pain. "Oh it is such a sad story!" She produced a lace handkerchief seemingly from nowhere and began to dab her dry eyes with it. "We were so young and so terribly poor, Mother Superior. We couldn't feed her."

Jack patted her shoulder mechanically. It seemed like the sort of thing a husband would do.

"But you seem to be doing so well for yourselves now," the nun consoled Anney, despite the fact that she knew nothing about them, "So it makes sense that you would want a beloved daughter back."

"Thank you for understanding," Anney said, in a voice that sounded nothing like her own. "We had to go away to Port Royal to find work and we missed her ever so much."

"I think you'll be pleased to know she is doing quite well then," the nun continued the praise them, "You have a very accomplished daughter, Mr and Mrs Smith."

"She must take after her father," Jack piped up and Anney fought the urge to snort.

Once again, conversation was interrupted by the opening of the same door. Anney quickly climbed to her feet, only slowed down a little by her gown. As she looked to the doorway, Jack could have sworn that for the first time in living memory, there was a tear in her eye. He turned his head to have a look for himself and was rendered speechless.

Charlotte was even lovelier than he had imagined, easily the most beautiful little girl he had ever seen. At nine years of age she looked so much like Anney but with a fair amount of Edward, just for good measre. He was stunned to realise that Sister Bernard had been right- her eyes were the same as both his and his brother's. How odd it was to think that such a little person could be his own flesh and blood.

When the gorgeous creature spoke, it was with a voice that held wisdom beyond her years and Jack was instantly reminded of when Anney had first appeared the previous evening. "Hello Mummy." Her eyes quickly took in Jack before meeting with her mother's and receiving some kind of signal. "Hello, Daddy," she added promptly, "I've missed you."

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><p><strong>AN: The old "John Smith" alias, works everytime. So, what did you guys think of this chapter? I liked it, I think and I think I'm going to love Charlotte too. I promise Ed will turn up soon too, I just think they should actually set sail first. **


	6. Charlotte

**Once again, I don't own Jack or anyone/anything from the original Pirates films. **

**I know I haven't updated for a while but it's hard to get motivated when no one reviews. I can see how many of you are reading and it's kind of disappointing so this is just a gentle reminder that if you're reading, please take the time to review. **

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><p>Anney ran and fell at her daughter's feet and for the first time that day Jack knew she wasn't acting. "Oh, Charlotte!" she cried, grasping her little girl's hands, "I've missed you so much." Realising what she had said, she quickly added, "And so has your father."<p>

The young nun stood behind her, holding a few tattered grey tunics like the one she was wearing and a few other small items. "Charlotte," her mother asked, confused, "Where are the rest of your things?"

The nine year old furrowed her brow in confusion. "Those are my things, Mummy." Captain Fox looked scandalised. Jack chuckled in what was the only drop in completely plausible character the lady had maintained all day. He had never really considered it before but the idea of her daughter living in poverty must horrify a woman who had been surrounded with riches her entire life.

"We have plenty for her at home though, don't we?" he prompted Anney, proper speech back once more. Pulling herself together for the sake of appearances, Anney scrambled up from the floor, dusting herself off.

"Of course...Dear," she replied and Jack took her look of acceptance of her unusually emotional behaviour as a compliment.

"Well, Charlotte," the blind old woman spoke up from her chair after watching the family be reunited, "We will miss you but I see no problem in turning you over to your parents once more." Anney looked victorious. "You are officially Charlotte Smith once more."

"If that's all in order then," Anney piped up, back to her brash self, "We had best be off." She turned back to her beloved little girl, "Are you ready, Charlotte?"

"Yes Mummy," the girl replied dutifully, although she was still eyeing Jack with interest. She knew they had never met but when she looked into his face, she saw herself.

"Then I will say farewell to you, Smiths," the Mother Superior waved them off from her seat, "And may God bless you."

"And you too, Mother Superior," Charlotte chimed in immediately.

"Thank you, my child," the older woman smiled once more. Although she couldn't be sure, she turned her face to where she believed Mr and Mrs Smith to be, "Sister Bernard will see you out." Just as they had entered the room, they filed out following the young French nun, except this time they had the addition of Charlotte and Jack was bringing up the rear. As he crossed the threshold, Jack could have sworn that the silver candlestick that had been next to the Madonna statuette was gone; no doubt Anney had thought it would make a fine addition to her collection.

Charlotte still seemed slightly confused by Jack's presence but he thought he was beginning to win her over. While they were making their way back down the stairs that had led the Smith's to the Mother Superior's office, Sister Bernard had been yabbering away about something of no interest to anyone but herself. When he caught Charlotte staring at him, Jack had pulled a ridiculous face and she had giggled.

When they arrived back in the yard, it was time for Charlotte to say her final goodbyes to both the nuns and the other children, the latter of whom were more jealous than overwrought with the fact that they were losing a friend. Anney, who was growing more impatient by the minute, made sure these didn't take too long, however.

"Come on, Charlotte," the Captain demanded, tugging her daughter by the hand. Charlotte looked back at the place that had been her home for the last four years over her shoulder. Jack did the same but instead tried to catch the eye of the young nun, who hastily looked away. Christopher was waiting for the family outside the gate. Much to Jack's surprise, Charlotte leapt forward to hug him. Christopher had never really struck Jack as the type who would be a big hit with kids, mainly because he was the most terrifying human being he had ever seen.

"Christopher," the little girl cried, flinging her arms around him. The hulking mass of a man looked uncomfortable, but nevertheless pleased to see the child.

"Hello, Miss Charlotte."

Anney's miniature was practically bounding around with delight. "Did you miss me while I was gone, Christopher? It's been such an awfully long time!" Jack was surprised she could still remember people from her past so vividly, considering she had only been four when Anney had left her behind but then again, the nuns had said she was an exceptionally gifted child.

Still seemingly against spending one minute longer on the land, Anney was already making her way back through the town, with the other three bringing up the rear. The town was now with buzzing with the news that the Smiths appeared to have adopted a child from the local cathedral orphanage but Anney was clearly less concerned with keeping up appearances this time around. Face set, she was making her way strictly and strategically back to her boat, with no time whatsoever for questions from the locals. Jack wasn't answering them either but that was more due to the fact that he was struggling to keep up with his pretend wife than rudeness.

Charlotte stood next to her mother but was walking backwards, still surveying Jack with her head tilted to one side; If was as if she saw something familiar about him but him but she couldn't quite place it. "Are you my father?" she finally asked, with the kind of curiosity only a child could muster. Charlotte had spent her entire nine years on Earth wondering about her absent father so the idea of finally meeting him was one she had played over again and again in her mind.

"I ain't, my love," he answered kindly, before being silenced by the young girl.

"But they think you are at the orphanage?" she cut him off. The little one really was a chip off the old block, wasn't she? Normally Jack would have found his every move being questioned annoying but there was just something so endearing about her.

"What I was _going_ to say," he smirked, looking down his nose at her, "Was that I know yer father. However, ye did cut me off quite harshly there, which- even among pirates- ain't really considered good manners." He narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion. "Ye do know ye mother's a pirate, don't cha?"

His niece exhibited one of the classic rolls of the eyes he had come to associate only with Anney. "Of course, I lived on a pirate ship with her until I was four." She glanced quickly at a few of the townspeople before dropping her voice, "But I couldn't talk about that at the cathedral or else Mummy said they would never let her come back for me." Jack silently agreed that this was probably true. "Who are you then?" she asked suddenly, changing the subject back, as children are prone to doing.

She was still walking backwards and he was impressed that she hadn't yet stumbled but then again, he'd always had deplorable coordination which his own father had never failed to bring to his attention. "I'm your Uncle Jack," he told her proudly, "Yer father, Ed, was me own brother."

Charlotte stared at him in wide-eyed wonder; she had never met any of the infamous Sparrows (or Teagues, rather) that made up the paternal part of her family. Then again, that probably wasn't saying much, considering she had never met any Foxes either but she was still impressed. Her dark brown eyes grew even larger, "Really? So are you a pirate too, then?" Jack was understandably offended but quickly remembered the child had spent the last five years of her life in a Catholic orphanage.

"My darlin'" he announced, "It may shock ye to know, that yer in the presence of the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow- the greatest pirate to ever sail the Seven Seas." He finished by throwing one arm out to the side, as if presenting some great artwork but the little girl's face remained blank. "Well, I've never heard of you," she replied, as though suspecting he was making the whole thing up. Anney sorted, making it obvious that she had been able to hear the entire exchange up until this point. Fortunately for Jack's pride, they were now making their way down the dock and it was Anney's turn to do all the talking again. Being born into piracy, Charlotte still remembered the drill and she fell silent too.

"Mr and Mrs Smith," the officer patrolling greeted them cheerfully, "What brings you down here to the dock again so soon? I had imagined you'd be wanting to get settled in." The fact that there behaviour was being noted as strange was of no consequence, as Anney and Jack had developed a comprehensive list of valid excuses for all sorts of things the night before.

"We do of course," Anney smiled regretfully, "But moving is such a chore!" For a moment Captain Fox was disappointed at the fact that these simple people would never know how brilliantly she had fooled them all. She still ploughed on, however, "There's still so much to get off our boat."

Spotting an obvious chance for a chivalrous deed that would help him land himself in the new couple's good books, the officer was quick to volunteer his services but Anney waved him off. "Oh no, it's all right. Christopher here has it all under control." The officer looked upon the mountain of a man in front of him and gulped, knowing this was probably too right.

"Well, good day the-" he continued swiftly, before abruptly stopping; he had noticed Charlotte. "And who is this charming young lady, he inquired. Charlotte did not grant him even a smile in response.

"That's Charlotte," Anney explained, "She's coming to live with us." The officer was almost jealous.

"Well, you've been given quite a gift, Miss Charlotte," the officer addressed the child, "So mind you do exactly what the Smith's say." Charlotte tried to hide her shock at the insinuation that she wouldn't be ruling the roost now she was back in her proper place.

Jack had to admit, Anney had thought this out well. The officers would switch within the next two hours, and as long as the crew remained quiet, no one would have any idea they were on the boat. Captain Fox was clearly in a good mood now she had both her daughter and her ship back and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to brief her on his plan.

"Anney, my darlin'" he began, as the Captain was opening her door, "I was just wonderin' if I could continue that little chat we were havin' earlier. Barbossa, Great Southern Continent..." He waved his hands around as if to say, what now?

Anney sighed, ushering Charlotte inside, who rushed to jump onto her mother's huge bed. "Not now Jack," she said, but it was still the calmest he had ever seen her, "If it's really that important, come talk to me this evening." She smiled, gazing lovingly at her precious daughter. "I've just got Charlotte back and I've just to reintroduce her to the crew."

This wasn't what Jack had been expecting but it wasn't a flat out no either so he was willing to accept it. "Aye! Well, I'll see ye then... Captain." He saluted and Anney smiled despite herself.

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><p><strong>AN: Kind of a quick chapter and basically follows on from the last one, I know. Let me know what you think though :)**


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